Beta Cell Regeneration

Pancreatic beta-cells secrete insulin to regulate energy utilization throughout the body. This critical cell-type is destroyed (type 1) or insufficient (type 2) in the common forms of diabetes. A major focus of our work is to devise strategies for beta-cell regeneration.

We use genetic, pharmacological and high resolution imaging approaches in zebrafish to provide proof-of-principle for new therapeutic strategies. Together with other groups at Garvan we are taking drugs identified in high-throughput zebrafish screens into validated pre-clinical disease models for further testing.

In addition, we are interested in identifying and then modulating dysregulated pathways that are shared between diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease.